Gallup boss: More Americans oppose gun control than ever

[long762range]

http://blogs.chron.com/txpotomac/2009/05/gallup_boss_more_americans_opp.html

May 05, 2009
Gallup boss: More Americans oppose gun control than ever

Amid a wave of publicity about school shootings and drug-related gun violence along the Mexican border, more Americans than ever oppose government efforts to regulate guns, Gallup's top pollster said today.

Frank Newport, the editor-in-chief of the Gallup Poll, told a breakfast meeting of reporters hosted by the Christian Science Monitor that "every bit of data is showing us that Americans are getting more conservative about gun control."

Newport cited polling conducted by Gallup, the Pew Research Center and CNN to back up his contention that "attitudes toward gun control have become more conservative -- not wanting more gun control."

The veteran pollster said the growing opposition to gun control is "counterintuitive" because of the heavy media focus on the use of assault weapons to kill police officers and school students, as well as the coverage of drug-cartel lawlessness in Mexico.

But he said that Americans are clearly saying that they want gun laws to "stay as they are" or become "less strict" rather than becoming "more strict."

"The NRA is in a pretty good position, public-opinion-wise," Newport said.

A CNN poll conducted in April found that 39 percent of Americans wanted stricter gun control laws, down from 50 percent in 2000. Another 46 percent said the gun laws should stay as they are, while 15 percent said they should be loosened--up from 9 percent in 2000.

When asked to identify the best way to reduce gun violence, 61 percent of Americans said stronger enforcement of existing laws, while 27 percent opted for stronger laws, according to an ABC News-Washington Post poll, also conducted in April.

Even an assault-weapon ban is not the political "sure thing" it once was. An Apr. 23-26 poll by NBC News and the Wall Street Journal found that support for curbing the sale of assault weapons and semiautomatic rifles has dropped from 75 percent in 1991 to 53 percent today.

The shifting public mood on gun issues is the reason why the Obama administration is not trying to reinstate the assault-weapons ban that former President Bush allowed to expire in 2004. Obama and other administration officials said they have decided instead to adopt a strategy of enforcing existing laws.

[DDMac]

"When asked to identify the best way to reduce gun violence, 61 percent of Americans said stronger enforcement of existing laws, while 27 percent opted for stronger laws, according to an ABC News-Washington Post poll, also conducted in April."

So..what happened to this 61% when they entered the polls?

Mac.

[tt11758]

"When asked to identify the best way to reduce gun violence, 61 percent of Americans said stronger enforcement of existing laws, while 27 percent opted for stronger laws, according to an ABC News-Washington Post poll, also conducted in April."

So..what happened to this 61% when they entered the polls?

Mac.

Apparently the effects of the kool-aid have worn off.

[2HOW]

I call Bull s... on this poll.

[tombogan03884]

I call Bull s... on this poll.

It's in line with the results of the Zogby poll in the other thread and Firearms purchases are at an all time high.
Justify your statement.

[Sponsor]

[TAB]

I don't think the numbers have changed... what has changed is more people are voicing thier IMO.

[tombogan03884]

I don't think the numbers have changed... what has changed is more people are voicing thier IMO.

That could be.

[twyacht]

Quote from: TAB on Today at 08:07:05 PM
I don't think the numbers have changed... what has changed is more people are voicing thier IMO.

GOOD!

Where's the numbers from the MSNBC Poll last week,,,,



Oh that's right, the numbers didn't cater to the anti gun mindset,... and therefore forgotten,.....